Each morning in London, Delcy Rodriguez, vice president under Nicolás Maduro, would handle her toothpaste with disdain, criticizing it as a symbol of capitalism.

This daily habit, as remembered by ex-US diplomat Brett Bruen, highlights the staunch ideology of the woman now tasked with steering Venezuela’s transition following Maduro’s removal, a situation President Trump effectively set in motion.

Bruen, who once worked at the US Embassy in Caracas, describes Rodríguez as a fervent Chavista and a committed socialist. He cautions that Trump’s strategy is transforming a military triumph into a political debacle.

“From a strategic perspective, it’s incredibly foolish, even by his standards,” Bruen remarked regarding Trump’s declaration that the US would “run Venezuela.”

Yet, the toothpaste story barely scratches the surface of a more profound divide.

Trump’s choice to marginalize Venezuela’s democratic opposition figures, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, has created a significant rift with key Republicans and the Venezuelan-American community, who largely view Machado as Venezuela’s rightful leader.

Some of Trump’s closest allies are now openly breaking ranks. Representative Carlos Gimenez, a staunch Trump supporter and a powerful voice in Miami’s exile community, told the Daily Mail that on Machado, the President is simply wrong.

Venezuela’s parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on January 5, two days after US forces seized her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York

 Maduro participates in a cabinet meeting at Miraflores Palace two months before his arrest 

Aerial view of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas

‘The community is not divided on her. I think the community is solid behind her,’ Gimenez stated. 

While Gimenez praised Trump for the ‘bold action’ of the operation itself, he admitted there is a disconnect regarding the country’s future leadership.

‘The President is my president… but my assessment and his are different,’ Gimenez said.

The Florida congressman confirmed he spoke with Machado shortly after the apprehension of Maduro. He described her demeanor during the call as ‘statesman-like,’ adding that she didn’t bring up any theories on why Trump won’t back her.

Gimenez argued that Machado’s legitimacy is undeniable, noting that she backed Edmundo González in the recent elections—who won by 70 percent—only because she was illegally barred from running. 

‘If you had an election tomorrow, I bet pretty good money that Maria Corina Machado would win,’ Gimenez asserted.

The congressman hopes to ‘bring Trump around,’ questioning who has been feeding the President negative information about the opposition leader. ‘I don’t know who told him this… I just don’t think it’s correct,’ he added.

Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, another Cuban representing South Florida, echoes the same sentiment, telling the Daily Mail that Machado is the ‘moral force’ of Venezuela’s democratic movement.

‘I am hopeful that we will take the necessary steps to ensure that either, the 2024 election results are respected, or, that a new election will take place where María Corina is on the ballot,’ Salazar explained. 

But a diplomat very familiar with South America who asked to remain anonymous told the Daily Mail that Machado can be ‘difficult.’ 

‘She’s completely stalwart… She believes what she believes. If you share her views, then you are a pretty smart guy, and if you differ in any respect, then she didn’t have a chance for you,’ a diplomat very familiar with South America told the Daily Mail.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures as she votes during the presidential election, in Caracas on July 28, 2024

Maduro onboard the USS Iwo Jima after the US military captured him on January 3, 2026

Captured Venezuelan leader Maduro says ‘happy new year’ as he is led to US jail

Gimenez told the Daily Mail he was among the first to learn of the raid, waking to a 4.30am call back from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and an emphatic message: ‘We got him.’ 

But with Trump declaring he will ‘run’ the country and some of his own party pushing back on who should lead it, what some diplomats call the ‘sugar high’ of the operation is fading fast.

As Bruen warns: ‘We’ve seen this movie before in Iraq and certainly in Afghanistan.’

Kevin Whitaker, a career diplomat who served as the US Ambassador to Colombia and previously as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Venezuela, suggested the administration might be keeping the ‘corrupt, illegitimate’ regime elements in place temporarily simply to maintain order while they figure out the next step.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a briefing with top lawmakers at the Capitol after President Trump ordered US forces to capture Maduro during a weekend raid in Caracas

Trump, flanked by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Rubio, observes the arrest of Maduro during Operation Absolute Resolve

Demonstrators hold flags depicting Che Guevara and Simon Bolivar during a march outside the National Assembly the day Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president

As of now, the national security team appointed to lead the effort in Venezuela includes Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, General Caine, Director Ratcliffe and Deputy Chief of Staff Miller. 

Rick Grenell, who was the unofficial Maduro negotiator, will reportedly not be involved moving forward.

A senior administration official also tells the Daily Mail that they do not plan to appoint a full-time envoy to help Rubio out on Venezuela.